Design of fuzzy seawater lift pump system in fossil fired power plant

The Sea Water Lift Pump (SLP) system is responsible for maintaining the open canal level to provide the suction flow of Circulating Water Pump (CWP) at the set point. The response of the SLP system is so slow that it is difficult to maintain an optimal open canal level by manual or two step pump speed control operation and to reduce overflow of seawater. The objective of this paper is to apply the fuzzy control method, which can utilize the flexibility and the heuristic operation strategy employed by operators, to SLP system in fossil fired power plant. In order to verify a proposed fuzzy system, we developed simplified models such as mathematical model of SLP, CWP, seawater level and intake canal. The result of the simulation test shows that the proposed fuzzy control method can reflect successfully the experience gained in skilled manual operation. It is expected that the fuzzy control can contribute to the reduction of power consumption of SLP, human error and man power, and to the improvment of the reliability and safety of the plant operation.